Window shade system power management

ABSTRACT

A system comprises a power-over-ethernet (POE) network switch; an intelligent power distribution hub and gateway (IPDHG) configured to communicate with the POE network switch; a rechargeable battery configured to be recharged by the POE network switch; and one or more low duty cycle devices configured to communicate with the IPDHG, wherein the one or more low duty cycle devices are charged by the rechargeable battery.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This disclosure claims priority to, and the benefits of, U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 63/073,340 entitled “POE GATEWAY WITHBACKUP POWER” filed on Sep. 1, 2020, the entire contents of which ishereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.

FIELD

This disclosure relates to window shade power management, and moreparticularly, to using a power-over-ethernet (POE) network switch and anintelligent power distribution hub and gateway to power and/or re-chargeone or more low duty cycle devices.

BACKGROUND

POE is a low voltage networking protocol and power solution. Morespecifically, POE represents both a low voltage networking communicationmeans, and also a power connection over the same cable. In 2003, POEonly supplied 13 W of power per port and evolved to a 100 W standard(IEEE802.3bt Type 4) in 2020. Residential and commercial window shadesystems typically use between about 0.5 and 4 Nm DC motors to powertheir shades. A typical max power level is around 48 W at full torque.Because the usable power available to a port is dependent on wiringlength, a load may not be capable of using the full power of the POEstandard. For example, up to 71 W of the full 100 W POE standard may beavailable for some applications. Thus, the opportunity to use more than1 motor on the port becomes very dependent on the number of motors andpower used by each motor to control its load. In particular, the powerrating on motors may be dependent on the load of the window shade whichmay include, for example, the size of shade, weight of material,diameter of tube, etc. The load on the window shade ultimately relatesto the torque on the motor, which in turn impacts the power consumptionof the motor.

Continuous use devices (e.g., lights) may utilize a larger supply ofpower during longer intervals while the lights are required to beactivated. However, low duty cycle devices (e.g., window shades, locks,etc.) are often activated for only a small time period (discontinuous)to reposition the device or change its state after which power draw isnegligible compared to peak power draw, so the devices usually havesmall average power requirements. One or more batteries are often usedfor the powering of the low duty cycle devices. Such batteries areavailable where they are integrated into the motor such that, when thebattery is depleted, the motor must be hooked up to an external chargingsource or the batteries need to be replaced. As such, especially wherethe motor typically has a longer lifecycle, the lifecycle of the motormay be reduced to the lifecycle of the battery. In addition, the effortfor the customer to reconnect a power charging source to the motorand/or the batteries can require a good amount of labor. Therefore, astrong need exists for a system that powers continuous use devices witha larger portion of available power. In addition, there is a strong needwhich may or may not include the prior requirement, but optimizesavailable power to support one or more discontinuous, low duty cyclepower consuming devices that collectively draw more power than thesource can provide at any instant by using rechargeable batteries thatare charged between uses and store enough power to support the totalpower consumption when required.

SUMMARY

In various embodiments, the system may comprise a power-over-ethernet(POE) network switch; an intelligent power distribution hub and gateway(IPDHG) configured to communicate with the POE network switch; arechargeable battery configured to be recharged by the POE networkswitch; and one or more low duty cycle devices configured to communicatewith the IPDHG, wherein the one or more low duty cycle devices arecharged by the rechargeable battery. The system conserves energy costsby using the power during lower rate times or outside of peak powerrequirements.

The low duty cycle devices may comprise non-continuous duty cycledevices. The low duty cycle devices may be charged by the rechargeablebattery during low occupancy. The low duty cycle devices may include atleast one of a motor, lock, light or HVAC. The activation of the lowduty cycle devices may avoid a time period when the one or more low dutycycle devices are charged by the rechargeable battery. A first devicereceives a recharging current and relays the recharging current to asecond device, in response to the first device having sufficientcurrent.

The IPDHG may be a master low duty cycle device. The IPDHG may beconfigured to obtain at least one of current, voltage, power and energyconsumption information about the one or more low duty cycle devices.The IPDHG may be configured to power down the one or more low duty cycledevices when not in use.

The POE network switch may charge the continuous duty cycle devices. ThePOE network switch may be configured to recharge a battery backup in amanaged way to support best battery life and power usage requirements.For continuous use devices, a large portion of the POE network switchpower may support the power requirement.

The instantaneous power delivery to low duty cycle devices from therechargeable battery may exceed the capacity of the POE network switch.The rechargeable battery may be further configured to increase the powerdelivery capability for the low duty cycle devices to support moredevices per port. The rechargeable battery may be configured to bereplaced without replacing the one or more low duty cycle devices. Asecond device may be restricted from charging, in response to a firstdevice being charged by the rechargeable battery. A first device mayobtain priority to be charged by the rechargeable battery, in responseto the first device having a lower charge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The features and advantages of the present disclosure will become moreapparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken inconjunction with the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a general overview of an exemplary system 100 including a POEnetwork switch 200, an IPDHG 300 and a battery bank 400, in accordancewith various embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a more detailed exemplary system 100 including variouscomponents within the POE network switch 200, IPDHG 300 and battery bank400, in accordance with various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In various embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the system 100 may include aPOE network switch 200 and an intelligent power distribution hub and/orgateway (IPDHG 300). The IPDHG 300 may or may not include a powerdeliver system 400. For example, power delivery system 400 may include arechargeable backup battery and/or associated circuitry, or powerdelivery system 400 may be a separate device connected to the IPDHG. ThePOE network switch 200 and IPDHG 300 may be different devices orintegrated into the same device with combined features. The POE networkswitch 200 may interface with IPDHG 300 using a CAT5 or CAT6 cable withRJ45 terminations equipped to properly support the data and powerrequirement for the port and IPDHG requirements. The wiring distancebetween the POE network switch 200 and IPDHG 300 may need to be limited(e.g., 328 feet). The maximum wiring distance from IPDHG 300 to thedownstream devices may be dependent on the power wire gauge and loaddraw. The POE network switch 200 and IPDHG 300 may be separately mountedor may fit into a rack assembly (e.g., Cisco CBD8U, Cisco Catalyst C9300or C9400 Series Network Chassis and properly configured LAN cardassembly, or other similar products by other manufacturers). A mastermotor may provide some or all of the functions of the IPDHG 300. Assuch, any references herein to a master motor and/or an IPDHG 300 may beinterchangeable. The master motor and/or IPDHG 300 may also managedownstream devices including, for example, motors, lights, HVAC or otherdevices. The concepts discussed herein apply whether the system 100includes a centralized automation controller/server which manages theautomation for all the devices or a fully distributed intelligentnetwork of devices that receive sensor information and independentlydetermine their shade position (e.g., internet of things (IOT)).

The system 100 efficiently manages and distributes power and also maydistribute networked communication to networked devices. The system 100optimizes power usage over time. In general, and as set forth in FIGS.1-2, the system 100 offers power to support low duty cycle devices froma POE network switch 200 (e.g., a single POE network switch). The lowduty cycle devices may include, for example, motorized window shades,locks, etc. Such low duty cycle devices may be DC-powered, AC-powered orother power sources. The system 100 may increase the power deliverycapability for these low duty cycle devices to support more devices perport. The POE network switch 200 may recharge any battery 400 backup ina managed way to support best battery life and power usage requirements.Instantaneous power delivery can exceed the capacity of the POE networkswitch 200 for low duty cycle devices. The thresholds for what may beconsidered an acceptable low duty cycle device may take on differentmeanings based on total power storage capability vs recharge time. Forexample, battery 400 power can exceed POE network switch 200 powerbecause the POE network switch 200 may charge the battery 400 over timesuch that the battery 400 may store additional power, and can be fullyrecharged after use to provide the same level of power prior to powerconsumption starting again. For continuous use devices (e.g., lights), alarge portion of the POE network switch 200 power can support the powerrequirement. A backup power delivery may be configurable to providepower to continuous duty devices and/or low duty devices. The powerdelivery system may be configurable based on power loss situations, forexample, and based on power usage such as for powering life safetypathway lighting or lighting exit signage. It may also be configurablefor use during utility demand response programs where utility fed energyneeds to be conserved. While the batteries and POE technology may addadditional costs to the system 100, the cost of batteries and POEtechnology may be centralized and/or amortized across a number ofintelligent connected devices. While the system 100 may includecontinuous and/or non-continuous duty cycle devices, some of the devicesmay or may not include POE technology. This arrangement also increasesthe fanout of intelligent devices connected to a single POE networkswitch 200. The system 100 may be plenum-rated, fan-less, and/or couldalso reside in an IT closet with a managed environment.

The system 100 may also conserve energy costs by using the power duringlower rate times or outside of peak power requirements (e.g., weekend ornights). The system 100 may consider the product use times, in order todetermine when to re-charge. For example, motorized DC window shadestypically are not adjusted at night (i.e., the system 100 will notactivate or need battery 400 power during the nighttime), so the system100 may re-charge during the nighttime. The system 100 may integratewith motion sensors, building schedules, computer activation history,elevator access systems, parking systems, employee check-in/out systemsor employee schedules to determine times when a room may not beoccupied. The system 100 may move the shades to the down position at anearlier time (even if the down position is or is not a preferred settingat the time), so the shades will not be moved during the re-chargeprocess which may be at a later time. The system 100 may also learndevice usage times by using historical usage data, artificialintelligence and/or predictive algorithms to analyze potential or futureuse of the devices. The system 100 may then determine when the systems100 are used the least, and re-charge during those low usage times.

The system 100 may include one or more POE network switches 200. A POEnetwork switch 200 is any network switch that has a POE injectionbuilt-in to the switch. A midspan (or POE injector) may be used to addPOE capability to regular non-POE network links. Midspans may be used toupgrade existing LAN installations to POE and provide a versatilesolution where fewer POE ports are required. The POE network switch 200may provide a high-speed network connection and power supply to powerdevices. The POE network switch 200 may reduce the need for extraoutlets and extension cables, while also reducing deployment and laborcosts. The use of a POE network switch 200 may allow POE powered devicesto be easily moved to locations without power outlets. As such, the POEpowered devices may be placed in hard to reach locations or locationsfurther away from a power source, Window shade systems 100 are ideal foruse with a POE network switch 200 because window shade systems 100(including the motors) are often in ceilings that are typically hard toreach and do not usually include electrical outlets. A POE networkswitch 200 also automatically detects power consumption by POE powereddevices and a required amount of power supply. POE network switch 200may optimally allocate power to help minimize power waste and helpbusinesses save money.

As shown in FIG. 2, in various embodiments, the POE network switch 200or the IPDHG 300 may include a POE power supply 205, a POE database 210and a power negotiation unit 215. In various embodiments, the POEnetwork switch 200 may provide power to recharge a battery 400 for oneor more non-continuous duty cycle devices and/or power directlycontinuous duty cycle devices. As mentioned, battery 400 power canexceed POE network switch 200 power because the POE network switch 200may charge the battery 400 over time such that the battery 400 may storeadditional power. For example, depending on amount of battery 400 power,the system 100 could power 2×50 W shade solutions for maximum duration(e.g., 5 minutes) simultaneously from a 30 W 802.3AT Port. The battery400 power can provide emergency power for a limited time during poweroutages to discontinuous and/or continuous duty devices. The emergencypower may support the life safety systems. In various embodiments, thePOE network switch 200 may be rack mounted inside an environmentallycontrolled room by being adapted into, for example, a 19″ rack kit(e.g., Cisco Catalyst CDB-8U UPOE Plenum Network Switch). The componentsmay be separately mounted, but when installed with a POE network switch200, the components should ideally fit a rack assembly (e.g., a rackassembly designed for Cisco CBD8U). The POE network switch 200 couldalso be any POE type based on battery 400 storage capabilities forNon-continuous Duty Cycle Devices or power capabilities to direct driveContinuous Duty Cycle Devices. In that regard, the maximum powerdelivery for the POE network switch 200 may include 15.4 W for the POE802.3AF Type1, 30 W for the POE 802.3AT Type2, 60 W for the POE 802.3BTType3 or 90 W for the POE 802.3BT Type4.

IPDHG 300 may include a networked power distribution unit (PDU) and mayinclude the network switch 200 or link (e.g., via a CAT5 or CAT6 cable)to the network switch 200. IPDHG 300 may also include a POE power supply205, a POE database 210 and a power negotiation unit 215 within theIPDHG 300. As shown in FIG. 2, in various embodiments, the IPDHG 300 mayinclude a power regulation unit 305, a processor with support circuitry310, a continuous duty network power management unit 315, a continuousduty network transceiver 320, a non-continuous duty network powermanagement unit 330, and a non-continuous duty network transceiver 325.IPDHG 300 may increase the efficiencies of data transmission withreal-time remote power monitoring, environmental monitoring and/orinfrastructure integration. IPDHG 300 may also provide increased uptime.For example, administrators can monitor power at the device level or PDUlevel. IPDHG 300 may include user-defined thresholds. IPDHG 300 mayprovide alerts on potential issues before the issues become a problemand may optimize the performance of different devices (e.g., motors).IPDHG 300 may provide capacity planning by providing information aboutpower consumption (e.g., for each device). IPDHG 300 may providebaseline utilization to predict equipment failure. The IPDHG 300 mayidentify stranded capacity to accurately plan floor expansions. IPDHG300 may reduce costs and power consumption. IPDHG 300 may use outletlevel power monitoring and trend analysis to monitor server performanceand reboot certain systems that are having problems (reducing the costof site visits). IPDHG 300 may power down certain equipment not beingused during off-hours to conserve energy. IPDHG 300 may also possesstransceivers that communicate with environmental sensors to help improveefficiency. As such, IPDHG 300 may reduce carbon footprints. IPDHG 300may collect real-time current (amps), voltage, power (kVA, kW), and/orenergy consumption (kWh). IPDHG 300 may provide reports that alert anyunforeseen issues and help comprehend real-time power load, capacity,and trends across the infrastructure system. The processor circuitry 310may support intelligent control and operation of networked continuoususe devices or low duty cycle devices. This control may supportindividual, group, room, façade, floor or building-wide control and/orautomation.

IPDHG 300 may provide a configurable percentage of port power that maybe used for lights and other continuous duty devices. IPDHG 300 may alsoprovide power from rechargeable batteries for use with shades, locks andother discontinuous use devices. In various embodiments, IPDHG 300 mayinclude any wiring option with power and network capability. The powercan be separate from the network or combined. The systems and functionsdiscussed herein may also include various combinations of charging,re-charging and/or trickle-charging. In various embodiments, IPDHG 300may not include any trickle-charging and may provide full power to thedevices. The maximum power delivery for the IPDHG 300 may include 15.4 Wor 12.95 W for the POE 802.3AF Type1, 30 W or 25.5 W for the POE 802.3ATType2, 60 W or 51 W for the POE 802.3BT Type3, or 90 W or 71 W for thePOE 802.3BT Type4.

A rechargeable battery system 400 (e.g. a battery storage bank) may beinternal or external of IPDHG 300. The batteries may be replaceable,without having to replace the entire motor. The system 100 may include adedicated rapid-charge port for when the battery system 400 is fullydischarged. The rapid charge port could be connected to a line voltagepowered source. This line voltage power source could be from a backuppower generator. Batteries 400 may be rechargeable and can bereplaceable in the IPDHG 300. The IPDHG 300 may be located in acentralized location for easy access for replacement of the batteries400. By having a replaceable battery 400, certain powered devices mayhave a life expectancy longer than a rechargeable battery 400 that mayotherwise not be replaceable. As shown in FIG. 2, the battery system 400may include, for example, a 120V/230V AC power supply 410 that suppliesa rapid recharge port 420. The rapid recharge port 420 may provide powerto the battery bank 430. The battery bank 430 may be monitored by abattery monitor and recharge circuit 440.

A POE power supply can be a power injector or a POE network switch 200.Either of these typically are connected to line voltage AC power toderive the energy needed for the POE power supply. This power supply canbe used to power devices directly, but when trickle re-charging, currentmay go over an Ethernet cable and/or use POE protocols. A power devicemay convert AC to a DC trickle-charging current. The DC trickle-chargere-charging current is typically set by the motors as the current oftenvaries based on charge percentage, but the current could be coordinatedover the ethernet.

In various embodiments, the IPDHG 300 may not be AC powered. The IPDHG300 may be powered over POE by a third-party POE power injector or POEnetwork switch 200. The IPDHG 300 may support AC power as a rapid chargeor backup power connection option.

A first device (e.g., motor) may serve a role in delivering are-charging current to a second device's battery. Each motor may receivea re-charging current, and if the current is not needed at the time, themotor may relay the current onto the next device. The motor may includean algorithm that determines when the current is not needed, so thealgorithm instructs the motor to relay the current to the next device.As discussed herein, the motor may have (or acquire) information onhistorical needs or predicted needs, so the motor may determine whenadditional current is needed or not needed. As such, the motor maydirect the re-charging current to the next motor if not needed versussourcing the re-charging current for the next motor from the motor's ownbattery (which in this case would be charged from the unit before it).Each successive unit in the daisy chain gets re-charged from the unitbefore it, and the first unit gets direct charge from the power supply.

In various embodiments, IPDHG 300 may provide a central power connectionto devices on the network, and may use the network to identify whichdevice can draw from the IPDHG 300, when the device can draw from theIPDHG 300, and/or for how long. This concept may be used for batterycharging or it may be used for powering a continuous or low duty cycledevice's load. The concept is similar to a “token passing” solution forbattery 400 charging. The system 100 may restrict more than one devicefrom re-charging at a time. If the power supply can handle the load, thesystem 100 may have multiple devices re-charging at the same time. Forexample, the system 100 could allow devices to connect and chargesequentially until full or allow multiple devices to charge in parallel.The system 100 may use a TDMA (time division multiple access) approachand provide a time slice where each device could connect for a certaintimeframe and interleave the devices. The length of time each device ischarging or operating could be variable based on the level of chargeexisting in the device battery and the power requirements. For example,if the device's battery is more drained, then the system 100 may allowthe device to connect for a longer period of time.

In various embodiments, the system 100 may include motorized shades asan example of non-continuous duty cycle loads. The motorized windowshades are typically DC-powered motors that could be brushed orbrushless. The system 100 may include for example four motors withoutinternal batteries that can connect to IPDHG 300 even if the powercapacity of each motor is about 50 W and the port power delivers 51 W ifthe battery capacity supports to total power need. IPDHG 300 may connectwith more motors, if any of the motors consume less power. Theconnection from the IPDHG 300 can be daisy chained among the motors ifthe total wiring length does not reduce voltage levels too much. Devicescould be intelligently be configured to IPDHG 300 through a networkconnection in order to manage a maximum power draw to manage overdrawingIPDHG 300.

With respect to power management, in various embodiments, the system 100may run multiple motors from the same POE network switch 200 based onpower usage. The shade motor and/or IPDHG 300 may have information abouta motor's maximum current draw/supply/power needs and can communicateand manage those needs independently or in conjunction with the POEnetwork switch 200. This could be configured, for example, in the IPDHG300 at the time of production, during field setup, learned from themotor when it is first operated and adjusted over time based on usage,and/or provided over a network connection between the IPDHG 300 and theshade motor or motors where this information is stored. The informationmay help match a motor power class with standardized and/or enhanced POEpower classifications. The shade motor can be programmed with a maximummotor power class and/or a power curve based on planned shade heightrelative to motor part number at time of production. The IPDHG couldplan the motor power usage based on this power curve enabling fulloptimization of available power and number of shade motors that can useit. The selection of the power class or power curve may be over-statedbecause may try to factor the maximum value for the maximum torque ofthe motor when a shade assembly and may not use anywhere near thatmaximum torque requirement.

In response to the power curves of all (or any subset of) motorsconnected to the IPDHG being received and validated to work within thepower supply capabilities of the battery, the IPDHG sets upsynchronization with those motors based on its required control schemeand authorizes it for operation. In various embodiments, if the batterypower is sufficient to power the motors simultaneously in parallel, thenthe IPDHG may not setup specific synchronization timing between themotors because power should always be sufficient. A synchronizationsignal (synch signal) is specifically being utilized to tell thecontroller within each motor when it can operate the motor (similar tothe techniques discussed earlier for battery charging sequencing if themotor has an internal battery to charge). However, if the battery poweris insufficient to power the motors all simultaneously, and the motorswill be run in parallel, then a synchronization timing may be setupbetween the IPDHG and each motor so that each motor has a time slot toaccess power. Since the motor will require quiescent power to typicallyrun internal electronics and processors, power is available continuouslyfor the motor but it may not move the shade outside of thesynchronization times. Synchronization signals can be given to the motorvia a number of methods either via a network command or via a separatesynchronization wire connection. The motors may request permission tomove the motor, which may come with its own drawbacks on potentiallatency. The system may reduce the total battery power by only havingone motor powered at any one time while still moving motors in parallel.For example, with 2 motors running in a common group, the system mayallow motor #1 to operate for 10 msec during which the windings of themotor are pulsed, and during the next 10 msec motor #2 is allowed tooperate while motor #1 “coasts”. This type of approach may include atightly designed motor and control scheme to ensure there is constantspeed under all load conditions while confirming that “cogging” does notoccur (which creates an undesirable vibration in the shade movement whenit is not powered sufficiently to keep the brake properly open for motormovement).

The motor or IPDHG 300 may communicate with a POE network switch 200 toestablish a power limit for power consumption on a port. Establishing apower limit may be accomplished in POE networks using LLDP, but thereare several well specified means to do this via the IEEE802.3 Ethernetstandard for POE. A master motor or IPDHG 300 would aggregate themaximum power needs of all motors attached downstream in order tonegotiate a power class setting with the IPDHG 300 For example, theIPDHG 300 may be configured to secure the highest available port powerwhen IPDHG 300 first connects to a network switch. As each motor isconnected to the IPDHG, a handshake can occur if the motor isintelligent either sharing the motor power requirements through thenetwork or setting up a learning process per motor. If the motor is notintelligent, then a learning process could be employed or a field toolcould be used to program the IPDHG accordingly. If the motor is notintelligent, then dedicated ports would likely be deployed for eachconnected motor. Where multiple motors or devices are locateddownstream, the system 100 may establish (or re-negotiate) a revisedpower class as the devices come online.

In various embodiments, the production configuration engine includesinformation about the characteristics of the shade assembly and motor.The production configuration engine may have information such as, forexample, shade size, hanging weight of shade assembly (fabric+hembar),tube diameter and fabric RUD, frictional losses of the shade assembly(i.e., due to multi-banded linkage, troughs (in a larger shade comprisedof multiple shades connected to each other), blackout zipper channels,motor part number, etc. The production configuration engine may programa motor power curve and calculated motor power class from its databasetaking into account the dynamics of the shade assembly and configurationrelative to the chosen motor. The production configuration engine mayconsider motor factors at the time of production such as, for example,lifecycle frictional losses and/or motor run-in. Power curves may beprovided typically through a lookup table based on the motor part numberor motor type being added. The configuration engine may apply the powercurves into power capacity planning, while the configuration enginemonitors the actual position of each motor, and recognizing theanticipated power draw when the motor is restarted in either direction.

In various embodiments, prior to shipment, the shade assembly may becreated with or without a matching IPDHG 300. The torque/power curveassociated with the window shade may be monitored by the motor and/or anexternal piece of equipment. The motor may store the torque/power curveinto a database of the motor. In addition, with the information from thepower curve, the motor (and/or external equipment) may calculate a motorpower class. The motor power class may be stored in the motor and/orIPDHG 300 taking into account factors such as lifecycle frictionimpacts, stall condition, etc. based on the type of window coveringassembly being employed. For example, multi-band shade assemblies mustinclude a bearing and connecting rod between shade bands. The frictionalloss here translates into power requirements that should be planned (aswell as learned) as wear impacts the operation of the system over time.

In various embodiments, the shade motor senses the motor current orpower consumption during installation when certain limits are set.Current sensing can be managed using methods such as, for example, byemploying hall effect sensors, resistive elements that induce a voltagebased on current passing across the resistive elements, etc. Withnetworked motors, the process of tracking these factors can be completedlocal to the motor and communicated to the IPDHG 300. The IPDHG 300 mayverify these parameters during the first operation. For non-networkedmotors, the process may be tightly controlled by the IPDHG 300 inonboarding that motor and sensing the current draw over the course ofits operation from top to bottom limit. As used herein, any of thefunctions performed by the motor may be performed by the IPDHG 300and/or external equipment. Based on the power curve, the motorcalculates a motor class which it employs in planning power usage. Thepower class may be stored in the motor. The motor may also considerfactors such as, for example, lifecycle friction impacts, stallcondition, limit settings and/or operation. This data may help the IPDHG300 plan for worst case scenarios especially when group controllingmotors. For example, regarding the limit setting, if the motor's powerclassification is pre-configured, then the motor may verify the powercurve after the window shade limits are set. The motor may relay theinformation to the IPDHG 300 (if part of the system 100) and the IPDHG300 may re-negotiate the power class with the POE network switch 200using standard IEEE802.3 methods. The motor may learn from its operationover a lifecycle using artificial intelligence or machine learning. Themotor may alter the power class based on “break-in” of the motor orshade linkage hardware (e.g., the motor may heat up and distribute thelubrication, so the motor becomes more lubricated and runs with lessfriction). Friction may increase over time which would increase thepower class. The system 100 having the ability to change the powerrequirements may open up new capacity for other future devices that maycommunicate with IPDHG 300 or POE network switch 200. For example, thesystem 100 may redirect power between ports within a POE network switch200. If the power requirement increases and the POE network switch 200does not have sufficient capacity, the system 100 may transmit an alertor signal to a user or BMS as part of a preventative maintenance programwithin the motor.

The threshold established is used either by the motor, the IPDHG 300directly and/or the POE network switch 200 to detect and/or shut downmotors that exceed their threshold to ensure the excess power does notimpact the operation of other motors connected to the same port. A motormay exceed a threshold due to, for example, stall conditions fromobstacles or a malfunction in the motor. The system 100 may includefilters and response times to determine an acceptable range or thresholdbefore handling noise, surges, startup surge, stall conditions, etc whenappropriately responding to failure situations. To ensure the POEnetwork switch 200 (and any other equipment connected) are operatedsafely and reliably within their specifications, the system 100 mayanalyze power supply ratings relative to maximum average current draw,as well as surges and fast transients. If any of these factors is out ofan optimal range or threshold, and a shut-down is required, then themotor, IPDHG 300 and/or POS network switch may process an alert, so thatproper preventative maintenance algorithms can be enacted. In addition,the devices may also log events (e.g., a required shut down) in order tosupport artificial intelligence, learning and historical data needs. Themotor may also periodically store and/or update a previously storedpower curve (while saving the production curve for reference) in orderto analyze and help diagnose preventative maintenance opportunities.

In various embodiments, as mentioned, the master motor (or IPDHG 300 mayserve as a master) may manage downstream devices including motors,lights, HVAC or other devices. A motor can be setup as a “master” with a“slave” port that supports daisy-chaining power and network downstreamto another motor or other device that connects to it. The “master” motormay have true master control capability to “slaves” connected downstreamof the master motor. The master motor may simply be a distribution portfor “slaves” that employ the same power/communication capability as thaton the “master”. The slave port connection could be POE or theconnection could be a different power and network connection thatsupports the “slave” motor. The “master” motor is capable of beingconfigured to “host” communication and control for the “slave” motor onPOE in case the “slave” motor is not on POE. The “slave” port could alsofacilitate power/communication and control to HVAC equipment, as well asother building/room control equipment. The master may shut down theslave, for example, when sudden changes in power draw from a “slave’ mayexist. A training or configuration process may be used to configure a“slave” motor to a “master” motor. An equipped push button and LED mayprovide interaction with the installer in order to execute this“pairing” sequence. The pairing may involve obtaining power curve andother data from the slave motor downstream

In various embodiments, pairing modes may optimize power usage. Specialpairing modes can be setup between paired motors (e.g., motors thatoperate solar shades, motors that operate blackout shades, motors ondifferent control zones, etc.) to ensure the motors will not operate atthe same time in order to ensure that any one POE network switch 200port is not overdrawn for power. This allows two or more motors to bepaired by the same POE network switch 200 port without increasing thepower classification requirements. Therefore, when any motor in the portis commanded to operate, the operating motor validates that other pairedmotors are not operational prior to moving. Such validation can involvenetwork messaging with a paired motor to verify the paired motor is notmoving, and otherwise disabled until the intended motor moves. Thesystem 100 may also involve messaging between the intended motor and theIPDHG 300 (or master motor) to ensure there is power capacity prior tooperating. If the power capacity is not sufficient, then the motor maywait for a message that indicates that the power capacity is available.

Once the intended motor is ready to move, the paired motor(s) may bedisabled from operation and the intended motor subsequently moves perthe command. A command to the paired motors can re-enable the disabledmotors, after the movement of the intended motor is complete. Thiscoordination can be completed by the IPDHG 300, master motor or pairedmotor. Paired motors that are disabled may still receive movementcommands pertaining to the paired motors, while the paired motors aredisabled. The paired motors may store the last commanded movement, andwhen the paired motor is re-enabled, the paired motor initiates its ownmovement sequence to move to the last requested position. Whiledisabled, the paired motor may issue a response command that coordinateswith the requestor about its current state and intention to move whenre-enabled, and/or may also coordinate its movements with the requestorwhen it begins and ends those movements.

In various embodiments, the motor may include distributed intelligencesuch that the motor may use information from other subsystems tooptimize the shade positioning. The building management system (BMS),HVAC system and/or lighting system may optimize automation settings byaccessing power draw information. For example, in a lighting system, thepower draw may be based on a current sensor/transformer. By having theshade system 100 identify lighting load power and/or HVAC power duringan automated move, the shading system 100 may identify the net impact ofthe position of the shades are having under the given conditions. Thisinformation can identify whether the automation is having the desiredimpact. For example, the information may determine that the automationresults in comfort overrides that are reactionary or if the automationresults in shade movements that do not produce a desired comfort orenergy result. In particular, even after the shades are lowered, thesystem 100 determines, based on the power load, that the lighting isincreased and the HVAC override is implemented to lower the temperaturefurther down than the scheduled temperature. By learning (e.g., usingAI/ML), the shade positioning can be further optimized in order toachieve the desired result.

The motor, POE network switch 200 and/or IPDHG 300 may use zoneinformation to optimize functionality. Zones crossing over betweenshades, lighting and HVAC can have a succinct impact. For example, anHVAC zone may be impacted by the daylight managed by a shade zone. Thelighting zone could be directly affected by the daylight coming into thewindow or indirectly affected in an adjacent space where it may be ofinterest to forecast impacts about to happen to this zone, and/ormanaging contrast ratios in an open plan across multiple zones. Contrastratios are differences in brightness between window wall and workingsurface. For example, when you are inside a cave and looking out at themouth, the difference between the brightness at the mouth and thesurrounding room surfaces are significant, and thus, you cannotrecognize details in anything in front of you. This can happen if theshades are letting in a lot of daylight, and in response, the lightingshuts off. A more comfortable system 100 might place lights on at 25% toreduce the contrast ratio to make the surroundings more comfortable,even though increasing power usage.

In various embodiments, the system 100 may optimize automation settingswhile a space is occupied (to help with comfort for human performance,productivity, wellness, etc.) and while a space is unoccupied (to helpwith energy performance). A ceiling-based photosensor may detect (e.g.,in a closed loop fashion) the light level typically on the desk, workingsurface, and/or floor. The photosensor may have a variety of ranges andviews. A ceiling-based photosensor may be able to differentiateartificial light vs daylight. This type of sensor may provide closedloop information about the amount of daylight hitting a working surface.The outward-facing daylight sensor or sky camera detects the amount ofdaylight entering the window and the angle that the daylight enters thewindow. Thus, the system 100 is configured for tracking the internalreaction to natural light at various angles and intensities. Suchtracking may help for optimizing automation and learning (AI)algorithms. Similarly, if the ceiling-based sensor and/or the outwardlooking photosensor also detect color temperature as well as daylightlevel, then color temperature of LEDs for artificial light sources canbe optimized for wellness requirements for circadian control.

The motor may also be configured with solar tracking parameters (asfurther explained herein and incorporated by reference) in order toimplement automation routines in a smart way on a distributedintelligent control network (versus centralized where a server tellseach motor how and when to operate). The system 100 may also include theuse of tools (e.g., smartphones) to configure the shade limits and solartracking settings. The system 100 may also provide the motor with datasuch as, for example, GPS location, shade orientation (e.g.,West-facing), sill height, shade height, overhangs, etc.

In various embodiments, the system 100 may include fabric withphotovoltaic cells. The system 100 may optimize automation routines tosupplement energy storage for a building to help offset peak demand andeven extend the use of a power base. The system 100 may include blackoutshades and weld flexible photovoltaic cells to the shade to harnessenergy. The system 100 can be configured to cover the internal shade bymoving a photovoltaic shade at the same time to make it more aestheticfrom the interior. The system 100 may also incorporate fabrics that aremade with photovoltaic materials. These features may integrate with thedevelopment of a power grid for the building that would store/consumethe energy the shades can harness (sunlight, kinetic motion, etc.). Thesystem 100 may bring power from the fabric to the motor inside the tube.The system 100 may bring power from the fabric, to the motor, then fromthe motor to the inside of the building which will connect with thebuilding grid.

In various embodiments, the system 100 may include battery 400 shades.The system 100 may optimize shade movement to minimize power consumptionin the battery 400 powered motors. Sky cameras can play a significantrole by minimizing shade movement to reduce power needs based onexisting and future sky conditions.

In various embodiments, the system 100 may include optimizing battery400 management or energy demand internally on lighting usage vs shadeusage etc. relative to future sky conditions. Optimized integration ofshades with lights and HVAC may help mitigate and/or shift load forenergy reasons, while still optimizing for comfort. The system 100 maynot just set shades at certain levels, but the system 100 may coordinatewith lighting and HVAC settings to determine the optimal settings forthe window shades. Other energy savings features may be found in U.S.Ser. No. 17/395,340 filed on Aug. 5, 2021 and entitled “Systems AndMethods For Energy Savings In Buildings,” which is hereby incorporatedby reference in its entirety for all purposes.

The motor, POE network switch 200 and/or IPDHG 300 may also coordinatecertain lighting functions (e.g., continuous loads). Coordinatinglighting with a shade can facilitate perimeter lighting associated withthe window opening in order to support decorative features for thoselooking at the location from the outside, decorative features for thoselooking at the location from inside the room (ie. wall washing above theshade, wall washing across the shade) or privacy looking from outside-inor potentially from inside-out. Furthermore, coordinating lighting witha shade could also facilitate using the shade as a window light at nighttime by using shade material that has fiber optic lighting qualities(e.g., weaves having side light fibers) or by providing backlight and/orpower/control for an LED/LCD type shade material that is capable ofstatic or rolling capabilities. In various embodiments, the light couldeven be part of (or within) the shade pocket to support decorativelighting from the room side and/or window side lighting for decorativeand/or privacy requirements during low light conditions.

The system 100 may include solar tracking systems that provide analysisof sky conditions and instructions for activating or deactivating thecontinuous duty devices and/or low duty devices. Such solar trackingsystem may include the features and functions in, for example, U.S. Ser.No. 14/692,868 which is a continuation of PCT Application No.PCT/US2013/066316 filed on Oct. 23, 2013 and entitled “Automated ShadeControl System Utilizing Brightness Modeling”. PCT Application No.PCT/US2013/066316 is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 13/671,018 filed onNov. 7, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,890,456 entitled “Automated ShadeControl System Utilizing Brightness Modeling”. U.S. Ser. No. 13/671,018is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 13/556,388 filed on Jul. 24,2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,432,117 entitled “Automated Shade ControlSystem”. U.S. Ser. No. 13/556,388 is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No.13/343,912 filed on Jan. 5, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,248,014 entitled“Automated Shade Control System”. U.S. Ser. No. 14/692,868 is also acontinuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 14/461,619 filed on Aug. 18, 2014,now U.S. Pat. No. 9,360,731 entitled “Systems and Methods for AutomatedControl of Electrochromic Glass.” U.S. Ser. No. 14/461,619 is acontinuation of U.S. Ser. No. 13/656,401 filed on Oct. 19, 2012, nowU.S. Pat. No. 8,836,263 entitled “Automated Shade Control in ConnectionWith Electrochromic Glass”. U.S. Ser. No. 13/656,401 is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 13/359,575 filed on Jan. 27, 2012,now U.S. Pat. No. 8,723,467 entitled “Automated Shade Control inConnection with Electrochromic Glass.” U.S. Ser. No. 13/359,575 is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 13/343,912 filed on Jan. 5, 2012,now U.S. Pat. No. 8,248,014 entitled “Automated Shade Control System”.U.S. Ser. No. 13/343,912 is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 12/475,312filed on May 29, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,120,292 entitled “AutomatedShade Control Reflectance Module”. U.S. Ser. No. 12/475,312 is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 12/421,410 filed on Apr. 9, 2009,now U.S. Pat. No. 8,125,172 entitled “Automated Shade Control Method andSystem”. U.S. Ser. No. 12/421,410 is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser.No. 12/197,863 filed on Aug. 25, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,977,904entitled “Automated Shade Control Method and System.” U.S. Ser. No.12/197,863 is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 11/162,377 filedon Sep. 8, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,417,397 entitled “Automated ShadeControl Method and System.” U.S. Ser. No. 11/162,377 is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 10/906,817 filed on Mar. 8, 2005and entitled “Automated Shade Control Method and System.” U.S. Ser. No.10/906,817 is a non-provisional of U.S. Provisional No. 60/521,497 filedon May 6, 2004 and entitled “Automated Shade Control Method and System.”The entire contents of all of the foregoing applications are herebyincorporated by reference for all purposes.

The motor, POE network switch 200 and/or IPDHG 300 may use sky camerainformation and data to optimize functionality. In various embodiments,the system 100 may include a sky camera solution that also has theability to apply AI to provide sky forecasting. This can contribute tooptimizing settings for other building systems like lighting and HVACbased on existing conditions and future conditions. It also cancontribute to identifying the optimal energy resource for buildingsequipped with options onsite, remote or via utility to employ solar,wind, coal, nuclear, etc. Forecasting could work in tandem with a netenergy product to validate the opportunity and quality of charging toidentify when the source will be capable of offsetting internal demand.The sky camera system may incorporate any of the feature or functionsset forth in U.S. Ser. No. 16/849,834, which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety for all purposes. The '834 application is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 16/240,479 filed on Jan. 4, 2019and entitled “Sky Camera System Utilizing Circadian Information ForIntelligent Building Control.” U.S. Ser. No. 16/240,479 is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 15/906,674 filed on Feb. 27, 2018and entitled “Sky Camera System for Intelligent Building Control”. U.S.Ser. No. 15/906,674 is a non-provisional of, and claims priority to,U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/513,733 filed on Jun. 1,2017 and entitled “Sky Camera System for Intelligent Building Control.”U.S. Ser. No. 15/906,674 is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No.14/692,868 filed on Apr. 22, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,938,765 entitled“Automated Shade Control System Interaction with Building ManagementSystem.” The entire contents of all of the foregoing applications arehereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.

In various embodiments, the system and various components may integratewith one or more smart digital assistant technologies. For example,exemplary smart digital assistant technologies may include the ALEXA®system developed by the AMAZON® company, the GOOGLE HOME® systemdeveloped by Alphabet, Inc., the HOMEPOD® system of the APPLE® company,and/or similar digital assistant technologies. The ALEXA® system, GOOGLEHOME® system, and HOMEPOD® system, may each provide cloud-based voiceactivation services that can assist with tasks, entertainment, generalinformation, and more. All the ALEXA® devices, such as the AMAZON ECHO®,AMAZON ECHO DOT®, AMAZON TAP®, and AMAZON FIRE® TV, have access to theALEXA® system. The ALEXA® system, GOOGLE HOME® system, and HOMEPOD®system may receive voice commands via its voice activation technology,activate other functions, control smart devices, and/or gatherinformation. For example, the smart digital assistant technologies maybe used to interact with music, emails, texts, phone calls, questionanswering, home improvement information, smart homecommunication/activation, games, shopping, making to-do lists, settingalarms, streaming podcasts, playing audiobooks, and providing weather,traffic, and other real time information, such as news. The ALEXA®,GOOGLE HOME®, and HOMEPOD® systems may also allow the user to accessinformation about eligible transaction accounts linked to an onlineaccount across all digital assistant-enabled devices.

The various system components discussed herein may include one or moreof the following: a host server or other computing systems including aprocessor for processing digital data; a memory coupled to the processorfor storing digital data; an input digitizer coupled to the processorfor inputting digital data; an application program stored in the memoryand accessible by the processor for directing processing of digital databy the processor; a display device coupled to the processor and memoryfor displaying information derived from digital data processed by theprocessor; and a plurality of databases. Various databases used hereinmay include: client data; merchant data; financial institution data;and/or like data useful in the operation of the system. As those skilledin the art will appreciate, user computer may include an operatingsystem (e.g., WINDOWS®, UNIX®, LINUX®, SOLARIS®, MACOS®, etc.) as wellas various conventional support software and drivers typicallyassociated with computers.

The present system or any part(s) or function(s) thereof may beimplemented using hardware, software, or a combination thereof and maybe implemented in one or more computer systems or other processingsystems. However, the manipulations performed by embodiments may bereferred to in terms, such as matching or selecting, which are commonlyassociated with mental operations performed by a human operator. No suchcapability of a human operator is necessary, or desirable, in mostcases, in any of the operations described herein. Rather, the operationsmay be machine operations or any of the operations may be conducted orenhanced by artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning. AI mayrefer generally to the study of agents (e.g., machines, computer-basedsystems, etc.) that perceive the world around them, form plans, and makedecisions to achieve their goals. Foundations of AI include mathematics,logic, philosophy, probability, linguistics, neuroscience, and decisiontheory. Many fields fall under the umbrella of AI, such as computervision, robotics, machine learning, and natural language processing.Useful machines for performing the various embodiments include generalpurpose digital computers or similar devices.

Any databases discussed herein may include relational, hierarchical,graphical, blockchain, object-oriented structure, and/or any otherdatabase configurations. Any database may also include a flat filestructure wherein data may be stored in a single file in the form ofrows and columns, with no structure for indexing and no structuralrelationships between records. For example, a flat file structure mayinclude a delimited text file, a CSV (comma-separated values) file,and/or any other suitable flat file structure. Common database productsthat may be used to implement the databases include DB2® by IBM®(Armonk, N.Y.), various database products available from ORACLE®Corporation (Redwood Shores, Calif.), MICROSOFT ACCESS® or MICROSOFT SQLSERVER® by MICROSOFT® Corporation (Redmond, Wash.), MYSQL® by MySQL AB(Uppsala, Sweden), MONGODB®, Redis, APACHE CASSANDRA®, HBASE® byAPACHE®, MapR-DB by the MAPR® corporation, or any other suitabledatabase product. Moreover, any database may be organized in anysuitable manner, for example, as data tables or lookup tables. Eachrecord may be a single file, a series of files, a linked series of datafields, or any other data structure.

As used herein, big data may refer to partially or fully structured,semi-structured, or unstructured data sets including millions of rowsand hundreds of thousands of columns. A big data set may be compiled,for example, from a history of purchase transactions over time, from webregistrations, from social media, from records of charge (ROC), fromsummaries of charges (SOC), from internal data, or from other suitablesources. Big data sets may be compiled without descriptive metadata suchas column types, counts, percentiles, or other interpretive-aid datapoints.

Association of certain data may be accomplished through any desired dataassociation technique such as those known or practiced in the art. Forexample, the association may be accomplished either manually orautomatically. Automatic association techniques may include, forexample, a database search, a database merge, GREP, AGREP, SQL, using akey field in the tables to speed searches, sequential searches throughall the tables and files, sorting records in the file according to aknown order to simplify lookup, and/or the like. The association stepmay be accomplished by a database merge function, for example, using a“key field” in pre-selected databases or data sectors. Various databasetuning steps are contemplated to optimize database performance. Forexample, frequently used files such as indexes may be placed on separatefile systems to reduce In/Out (“I/O”) bottlenecks.

More particularly, a “key field” partitions the database according tothe high-level class of objects defined by the key field. For example,certain types of data may be designated as a key field in a plurality ofrelated data tables and the data tables may then be linked on the basisof the type of data in the key field. The data corresponding to the keyfield in each of the linked data tables is preferably the same or of thesame type. However, data tables having similar, though not identical,data in the key fields may also be linked by using AGREP, for example.In accordance with one embodiment, any suitable data storage techniquemay be utilized to store data without a standard format. Data sets maybe stored using any suitable technique, including, for example, storingindividual files using an ISO/IEC 7816-4 file structure; implementing adomain whereby a dedicated file is selected that exposes one or moreelementary files containing one or more data sets; using data setsstored in individual files using a hierarchical filing system; data setsstored as records in a single file (including compression, SQLaccessible, hashed via one or more keys, numeric, alphabetical by firsttuple, etc.); data stored as Binary Large Object (BLOB); data stored asungrouped data elements encoded using ISO/IEC 7816-6 data elements; datastored as ungrouped data elements encoded using ISO/IEC Abstract SyntaxNotation (ASN.1) as in ISO/IEC 8824 and 8825; other proprietarytechniques that may include fractal compression methods, imagecompression methods, etc.

In various embodiments, the ability to store a wide variety ofinformation in different formats is facilitated by storing theinformation as a BLOB. Thus, any binary information can be stored in astorage space associated with a data set. As discussed above, the binaryinformation may be stored in association with the system or external tobut affiliated with the system. The BLOB method may store data sets asungrouped data elements formatted as a block of binary via a fixedmemory offset using either fixed storage allocation, circular queuetechniques, or best practices with respect to memory management (e.g.,paged memory, least recently used, etc.). By using BLOB methods, theability to store various data sets that have different formatsfacilitates the storage of data, in the database or associated with thesystem, by multiple and unrelated owners of the data sets. For example,a first data set which may be stored may be provided by a first party, asecond data set which may be stored may be provided by an unrelatedsecond party, and yet a third data set which may be stored may beprovided by a third party unrelated to the first and second party. Eachof these three exemplary data sets may contain different informationthat is stored using different data storage formats and/or techniques.Further, each data set may contain subsets of data that also may bedistinct from other subsets.

As stated above, in various embodiments, the data can be stored withoutregard to a common format. However, the data set (e.g., BLOB) may beannotated in a standard manner when provided for manipulating the datain the database or system. The annotation may comprise a short header,trailer, or other appropriate indicator related to each data set that isconfigured to convey information useful in managing the various datasets. For example, the annotation may be called a “condition header,”“header,” “trailer,” or “status,” herein, and may comprise an indicationof the status of the data set or may include an identifier correlated toa specific issuer or owner of the data. In one example, the first threebytes of each data set BLOB may be configured or configurable toindicate the status of that particular data set; e.g., LOADED,INITIALIZED, READY, BLOCKED, REMOVABLE, or DELETED. Subsequent bytes ofdata may be used to indicate for example, the identity of the issuer,user, transaction/membership account identifier or the like. Each ofthese condition annotations are further discussed herein.

The data set annotation may also be used for other types of statusinformation as well as various other purposes. For example, the data setannotation may include security information establishing access levels.The access levels may, for example, be configured to permit only certainindividuals, levels of employees, companies, or other entities to accessdata sets, or to permit access to specific data sets based on thetransaction, merchant, issuer, user, or the like. Furthermore, thesecurity information may restrict/permit only certain actions, such asaccessing, modifying, and/or deleting data sets. In one example, thedata set annotation indicates that only the data set owner or the userare permitted to delete a data set, various identified users may bepermitted to access the data set for reading, and others are altogetherexcluded from accessing the data set. However, other access restrictionparameters may also be used allowing various entities to access a dataset with various permission levels as appropriate.

The data, including the header or trailer, may be received by astandalone interaction device configured to add, delete, modify, oraugment the data in accordance with the header or trailer. As such, inone embodiment, the header or trailer is not stored on the transactiondevice along with the associated issuer-owned data, but instead theappropriate action may be taken by providing to the user, at thestandalone device, the appropriate option for the action to be taken.The system may contemplate a data storage arrangement wherein the headeror trailer, or header or trailer history, of the data is stored on thesystem, device or transaction instrument in relation to the appropriatedata.

One skilled in the art will also appreciate that, for security reasons,any databases, systems, devices, servers, or other components of thesystem may consist of any combination thereof at a single location or atmultiple locations, wherein each database or system includes any ofvarious suitable security features, such as firewalls, access codes,encryption, decryption, compression, decompression, and/or the like.

Practitioners will also appreciate that there are a number of methodsfor displaying data within a browser-based document. Data may berepresented as standard text or within a fixed list, scrollable list,drop-down list, editable text field, fixed text field, pop-up window,and the like. Likewise, there are a number of methods available formodifying data in a web page such as, for example, free text entry usinga keyboard, selection of menu items, check boxes, option boxes, and thelike.

The data may be big data that is processed by a distributed computingcluster. The distributed computing cluster may be, for example, aHADOOP® software cluster configured to process and store big data setswith some of nodes comprising a distributed storage system and some ofnodes comprising a distributed processing system. In that regard,distributed computing cluster may be configured to support a HADOOP®software distributed file system (HDFS) as specified by the ApacheSoftware Foundation at www.hadoop.apache.org/docs.

As used herein, the term “network” includes any cloud, cloud computingsystem, or electronic communications system or method which incorporateshardware and/or software components. Communication among the parties maybe accomplished through any suitable communication channels, such as,for example, a telephone network, an extranet, an intranet, internet,point of interaction device (point of sale device, personal digitalassistant (e.g., an IPHONE® device, a BLACKBERRY® device), cellularphone, kiosk, etc.), online communications, satellite communications,off-line communications, wireless communications, transpondercommunications, local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN),virtual private network (VPN), networked or linked devices, keyboard,mouse, and/or any suitable communication or data input modality.Moreover, although the system is frequently described herein as beingimplemented with TCP/IP communications protocols, the system may also beimplemented using IPX, APPLETALK® program, IP-6, NetBIOS, OSI, anytunneling protocol (e.g. IPsec, SSH, etc.), or any number of existing orfuture protocols. If the network is in the nature of a public network,such as the internet, it may be advantageous to presume the network tobe insecure and open to eavesdroppers. Specific information related tothe protocols, standards, and application software utilized inconnection with the internet is generally known to those skilled in theart and, as such, need not be detailed herein.

“Cloud” or “Cloud computing” includes a model for enabling convenient,on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computingresources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services)that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal managementeffort or service provider interaction. Cloud computing may includelocation-independent computing, whereby shared servers provideresources, software, and data to computers and other devices on demand.

As used herein, “transmit” may include sending electronic data from onesystem component to another over a network connection. Additionally, asused herein, “data” may include encompassing information such ascommands, queries, files, data for storage, and the like in digital orany other form.

Any database discussed herein may comprise a distributed ledgermaintained by a plurality of computing devices (e.g., nodes) over apeer-to-peer network. Each computing device maintains a copy and/orpartial copy of the distributed ledger and communicates with one or moreother computing devices in the network to validate and write data to thedistributed ledger. The distributed ledger may use features andfunctionality of blockchain technology, including, for example,consensus-based validation, immutability, and cryptographically chainedblocks of data. The blockchain may comprise a ledger of interconnectedblocks containing data. The blockchain may provide enhanced securitybecause each block may hold individual transactions and the results ofany blockchain executables. Each block may link to the previous blockand may include a timestamp. Blocks may be linked because each block mayinclude the hash of the prior block in the blockchain. The linked blocksform a chain, with only one successor block allowed to link to one otherpredecessor block for a single chain. Forks may be possible wheredivergent chains are established from a previously uniform blockchain,though typically only one of the divergent chains will be maintained asthe consensus chain. In various embodiments, the blockchain mayimplement smart contracts that enforce data workflows in a decentralizedmanner. The system may also include applications deployed on userdevices such as, for example, computers, tablets, smartphones, Internetof Things devices (“IoT” devices), etc. The applications may communicatewith the blockchain (e.g., directly or via a blockchain node) totransmit and retrieve data. In various embodiments, a governingorganization or consortium may control access to data stored on theblockchain. Registration with the managing organization(s) may enableparticipation in the blockchain network.

Data transfers performed through the blockchain-based system maypropagate to the connected peers within the blockchain network within aduration that may be determined by the block creation time of thespecific blockchain technology implemented. For example, on anETHEREUM®-based network, a new data entry may become available withinabout 13-20 seconds as of the writing. On a HYPERLEDGER® Fabric 1.0based platform, the duration is driven by the specific consensusalgorithm that is chosen, and may be performed within seconds. In thatrespect, propagation times in the system may be improved compared toexisting systems, and implementation costs and time to market may alsobe drastically reduced. The system also offers increased security atleast partially due to the immutable nature of data that is stored inthe blockchain, reducing the probability of tampering with various datainputs and outputs. Moreover, the system may also offer increasedsecurity of data by performing cryptographic processes on the data priorto storing the data on the blockchain. Therefore, by transmitting,storing, and accessing data using the system described herein, thesecurity of the data is improved, which decreases the risk of thecomputer or network from being compromised.

In various embodiments, the system may also reduce databasesynchronization errors by providing a common data structure, thus atleast partially improving the integrity of stored data. The system alsooffers increased reliability and fault tolerance over traditionaldatabases (e.g., relational databases, distributed databases, etc.) aseach node operates with a full copy of the stored data, thus at leastpartially reducing downtime due to localized network outages andhardware failures. The system may also increase the reliability of datatransfers in a network environment having reliable and unreliable peers,as each node broadcasts messages to all connected peers, and, as eachblock comprises a link to a previous block, a node may quickly detect amissing block and propagate a request for the missing block to the othernodes in the blockchain network.

The particular blockchain implementation described herein providesimprovements over conventional technology by using a decentralizeddatabase and improved processing environments. In particular, theblockchain implementation improves computer performance by, for example,leveraging decentralized resources (e.g., lower latency). Thedistributed computational resources improve computer performance by, forexample, reducing processing times. Furthermore, the distributedcomputational resources improve computer performance by improvingsecurity using, for example, cryptographic protocols.

Any communication, transmission, and/or channel discussed herein mayinclude any system or method for delivering content (e.g. data,information, metadata, etc.), and/or the content itself. The content maybe presented in any form or medium, and in various embodiments, thecontent may be delivered electronically and/or capable of beingpresented electronically. For example, a channel may comprise a website,mobile application, or device (e.g., FACEBOOK®, YOUTUBE®, PANDORA®,APPLE TV®, MICROSOFT® XBOX®, ROKU®, AMAZON FIRE®, GOOGLE CHROMECAST™,SONY® PLAYSTATION®, NINTENDO® SWITCH®, etc.) a uniform resource locator(“URL”), a document (e.g., a MICROSOFT® Word or EXCEL™, an ADOBE®Portable Document Format (PDF) document, etc.), an “ebook,” an“emagazine,” an application or microapplication (as described herein),an short message service (SMS) or other type of text message, an email,a FACEBOOK® message, a TWITTER® tweet, multimedia messaging services(MMS), and/or other type of communication technology. In variousembodiments, a channel may be hosted or provided by a data partner. Invarious embodiments, the distribution channel may comprise at least oneof a merchant website, a social media website, affiliate or partnerwebsites, an external vendor, a mobile device communication, socialmedia network, and/or location based service. Distribution channels mayinclude at least one of a merchant website, a social media site,affiliate or partner websites, an external vendor, and a mobile devicecommunication. Examples of social media sites include FACEBOOK®,FOURSQUARE®, TWITTER®, LINKEDIN®, INSTAGRAM®, PINTEREST®, TUIMBLR®,REDDIT®, SNAPCHAT®, WHATSAPP®, FLICKR®, VK®, QZONE®, WECHAT®, and thelike. Examples of affiliate or partner websites include AMERICANEXPRESS®, GROUPON®, LIVINGSOCIAL®, and the like. Moreover, examples ofmobile device communications include texting, email, and mobileapplications for smartphones.

The detailed description of exemplary embodiments herein makes referenceto the accompanying drawings, which show exemplary embodiments by way ofillustration and its best mode, and not of limitation. While theseexemplary embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable thoseskilled in the art to practice the invention, it should be understoodthat other embodiments may be realized and that logical, chemical andmechanical changes may be made without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention. For example, the steps recited in any of themethod or process descriptions may be executed in any order and are notnecessarily limited to the order presented. Moreover, many of thefunctions or steps may be outsourced to or performed by one or morethird parties. Furthermore, any reference to singular includes pluralembodiments, and any reference to more than one component or step mayinclude a singular embodiment or step. Also, any reference to attached,fixed, connected or the like may include permanent, removable,temporary, partial, full and/or any other possible attachment option.Additionally, any reference to without contact (or similar phrases) mayalso include reduced contact or minimal contact.

Systems and methods are provided. In the detailed description herein,references to “various embodiments”, “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”,“an example embodiment”, etc., indicate that the embodiment describedmay include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, butevery embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature,structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarilyreferring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature,structure, or characteristic is described in connection with anembodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of oneskilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristicin connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitlydescribed. After reading the description, it will be apparent to oneskilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement the disclosure inalternative embodiments.

Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have beendescribed herein with regard to specific embodiments. However, thebenefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that maycause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become morepronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essentialfeatures or elements of the invention. The scope of the invention isaccordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims, inwhich reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean“one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one ormore.” Moreover, where a phrase similar to “at least one of A, B, or C”is used in the claims, it is intended that the phrase be interpreted tomean that A alone may be present in an embodiment, B alone may bepresent in an embodiment, C alone may be present in an embodiment, orthat any combination of the elements A, B and C may be present in asingle embodiment; for example, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and Band C. Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the presentdisclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless ofwhether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited inthe claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under theprovisions of 35 U.S.C. 112(f) unless the element is expressly recitedusing the phrase “means for.” As used herein, the terms “comprises”,“comprising”, or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover anon-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, orapparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only thoseelements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherentto such process, method, article, or apparatus.

1. A system comprising: a power-over-ethernet (POE) network switch; anintelligent power distribution hub and gateway (IPDHG) configured tocommunicate with the POE network switch; a rechargeable batteryconfigured to be recharged by the POE network switch; and one or morelow duty cycle devices configured to communicate with the IPDHG, whereinthe one or more low duty cycle devices are charged by the rechargeablebattery.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more low dutycycle devices comprise non-continuous duty cycle devices.
 3. The systemof claim 1, wherein the POE network switch charges the continuous dutycycle devices.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more lowduty cycle devices are charged by the rechargeable battery during lowoccupancy.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the IPDHG is a master lowduty cycle device.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more lowduty cycle devices include at least one of a motor, lock, light or HVAC.7. The system of claim 1, wherein activation of the one or more low dutycycle devices avoids a time period when the one or more low duty cycledevices are charged by the rechargeable battery.
 8. The system of claim1, wherein the IPDHG is configured to obtain at least one of current,voltage, power and energy consumption information about the one or morelow duty cycle devices.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the IPDHG isconfigured to power down the one or more low duty cycle devices when notin use.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the rechargeable battery isfurther configured to increase the power delivery capability for the lowduty cycle devices to support more devices per port.
 11. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the POE network switch is configured to recharge abattery backup in a managed way to support best battery life and powerusage requirements.
 12. The system of claim 1, wherein instantaneouspower delivery to low duty cycle devices from the rechargeable batteryexceeds the capacity of the POE network switch.
 13. The system of claim1, wherein for continuous use devices, a large portion of the POEnetwork switch power supports the power requirement.
 14. The system ofclaim 1, wherein a first device of the one or more low duty cycledevices receives a recharging current and relays the recharging currentto a second device of the one or more low duty cycle devices, inresponse to the first device having sufficient current.
 15. The systemof claim 1, further configured to conserve energy costs by using thepower during lower rate times or outside of peak power requirements. 16.The system of claim 1, wherein the rechargeable battery is configured tobe replaced without replacing the one or more low duty cycle devices.17. The system of claim 1, wherein a second device of the one or morelow duty cycle devices is restricted from charging, in response to afirst device of the one or more low duty cycle devices being charged bythe rechargeable battery.
 18. The system of claim 1, wherein a firstdevice of the one or more low duty cycle devices obtains priority to becharged by the rechargeable battery, in response to the first devicehaving a lower charge.